The bill, S.B. No. 880, amends the Election Code to include provisions regarding political advertising distributed through mass text message campaigns. It expands the definition of "political advertising" to encompass communications sent as part of a mass text message campaign, which is defined as an organized effort to send text messages to multiple recipients in support of or opposition to a candidate, political party, public officer, or measure, involving expenditures beyond basic costs. Additionally, the bill increases the maximum civil penalty for violations related to political advertising from $4,000 to $10,000 and specifies that each individual text message sent in violation of the law constitutes a separate violation.

The changes introduced by this bill will only apply to political advertising distributed or broadcast on or after its effective date of September 1, 2025. Any political advertising distributed before this date will continue to be governed by the existing laws in effect at that time.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Election Code 251.001, Election Code 255.001 (Election Code 251, Election Code 255)